A quick glance at cinnamon's nutrition facts may not lead you to believe that it's a superfood ().

But while it doesn't contain a lot of vitamins or minerals, it does contain large amounts of antioxidants, which give it its health benefits.

In fact, one group of scientists compared the antioxidant content of 26 different herbs and spices and concluded that cinnamon had the second highest amount of antioxidants among them (after cloves) ().

Antioxidants are important because they help the body reduce oxidative stress, a type of damage to cells, which is caused by free radicals.

One study showed that consuming 500 mg of cinnamon extract daily for 12 weeks decreased a marker of oxidative stress by 14% in adults with prediabetes ().

This is significant, since oxidative stress has been implicated in the development of nearly every chronic disease, including type 2 diabetes ().

Summary: Cinnamon does not contain many vitamins or minerals, but it is loaded with antioxidants that decrease oxidative stress. This may potentially protect against diabetes.

Depending on the size of the meal and how many carbs it contains, blood sugar levels can rise pretty dramatically after you eat.

These blood sugar fluctuations can increase levels of oxidative stress and inflammation, which tend to do a lot of damage to your body's cells and put you at risk of chronic disease (, ).

Cinnamon can help keep these blood sugar spikes after meals in check. Some researchers say it does this by slowing down the rate at which food empties out of your stomach.

One study found that consuming 1.2 teaspoons (6 grams) of cinnamon with a serving of rice pudding led to slower stomach emptying and lower blood sugar elevations then eating rice pudding without it ().

Other studies suggest that it may lower blood sugar following meals by blocking digestive enzymes that break down carbs in the small intestine (, ).

This spice does more than lower fasting blood sugar and decrease blood sugar spikes following meals.

It may also lower the risk of common diabetes complications.

People with diabetes have twice the risk of heart disease as people without it. Cinnamon may help lower this risk by improving established risk factors for heart disease ().

A review of controlled studies in people with type 2 diabetes found that taking cinnamon was associated with an average decrease in "bad" LDL cholesterol of 9.4 mg/dL (0.24 mmol/L) and a decrease in triglycerides of 29.6 mg/dL (0.33 mmol/L) ().

It also reported an average 1.7 mg/dL (0.044 mmol/L) increase in "good" HDL cholesterol ().

Furthermore, another study found that supplementing with two grams of cinnamon for 12 weeks significantly lowered both systolic and diastolic blood pressure ().

Interestingly, diabetes has also been increasingly implicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, with many people now referring to Alzheimer's disease as "type 3 diabetes" ().

Studies suggest that cinnamon extract may decrease the ability of two proteins — beta-amyloid and tau — to form plaques and tangles, which are routinely linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease (, ).

However, this research has only been completed in test tubes and animals. Further studies in humans are needed to confirm these findings.

Summary: Cinnamon may help lower the risk of diseases related to diabetes, such as heart disease and Alzheimer's disease.

Cassia cinnamon can be derived from a few different species of Cinnamomum trees. It's generally inexpensive and is found in most food products and the spice aisle of your grocery store.

Ceylon cinnamon, on the other hand, is specifically derived from the Cinnamomum verum tree. It's typically more expensive and is less common than Cassia, but studies have shown that Ceylon cinnamon contains more antioxidants ().

Because it contains more antioxidants, it's possible that Ceylon cinnamon may provide more health benefits.

Nevertheless, although several animal and test-tube studies have highlighted the benefits of Ceylon cinnamon, most studies demonstrating health benefits in humans have used the Cassia variety ().

Summary: Both varieties of cinnamon likely lower blood sugar and fight diabetes, but studies in humans are still needed to confirm that Ceylon provides more benefits than Cassia.

Cassia cinnamon is not only lower in antioxidants, it's also high in a potentially harmful substance called coumarin, an organic substance found in many plants.

Several studies in rats have shown coumarin can be toxic to the liver, leading to concern that it can cause liver damage in humans as well ().

Accordingly, the has set the tolerable daily intake for coumarin at 0.045 mg per pound (0.1 mg/kg).

Using average coumarin levels for Cassia cinnamon, this would be equivalent to about a half teaspoon (2.5 grams) of Cassia cinnamon per day for a 165-pound (75-kg) individual.

As you can see, Cassia cinnamon is particularly high in coumarin, and you can easily consume more than the upper limit by taking Cassia cinnamon supplements or even eating large amounts of it in foods.

However, Ceylon cinnamon contains much lower amounts of coumarin, and it would be difficult to consume more than the recommended amount of coumarin with this type ().

Additionally, people with diabetes who take medications or insulin should be careful when adding cinnamon to their daily routine.

The addition of cinnamon on top of your current treatment may put you at risk of low blood sugar, which is known as hypoglycemia.

Hypoglycemia is a potentially life-threatening condition, and it is recommended to talk to your doctor about incorporating cinnamon into your diabetes management.

Lastly, children, pregnant women and others with extensive medical histories should speak with their doctors to see if the benefits of cinnamon outweigh the risks.

Summary: Cassia cinnamon is high in coumarin, which may cause liver damage. Also, people with diabetes should consider the risk of hypoglycemia when consuming large amounts of cinnamon.

Yet despite this, no consensus has been reached regarding how much you should consume to reap the benefits while avoiding potential risks.

Studies have typically used 1–6 grams per day, either as a supplement or powder added to foods.

One study reported that the blood sugar of people taking either 1, 3 or 6 grams daily all decreased by the same amount ().

Given that people on the smallest dose saw the same benefit as those on the largest dose, there may be no need to take large doses.

Additionally, a number of studies have shown that the coumarin content of Cassia cinnamon can vary. Therefore, it would be wise not to exceed 0.5–1 grams of it per day to avoid surpassing the tolerable daily intake of coumarin.

Much less caution can be taken with Ceylon cinnamon. Consuming up to 1.2 teaspoons (6 grams) daily should be safe as far as coumarin content is concerned.

Summary: Limit Cassia cinnamon to 0.5–1 gram per day. Ceylon cinnamon can be consumed in higher amounts, even though it may not be necessary.